


NightHawk - Taking Back the Night

by This_Is_Me



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:25:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7716436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_Is_Me/pseuds/This_Is_Me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sam disappeared after the airport fight, who missed him?  Perhaps it was Riley's widow and daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my Beta for looking this over for me.

**A/N:** Spoiler for Captain America: Civil War.

 

This is just a quick AU that came to mind when Sam ended up in the underwater poky.  Someone had to be missing him.  Why not Riley’s widow and daughter?

 

Enjoy and review.

 

Namaste,

Sunny

 

 

“ _You lose someone?_ ”

  
“ _My wingman Riley, flying a night mission, standard PJ rescue op.  Nothing we hadn’t done a thousand times before, till an RPG knocked Riley’s damn ass out of the sky.  Nothing I could do.  It was like I was up there just to watch_.”

 

\- Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_

 

Cast:

 

Kenneth “Kenny” Riley, Army, pararescue, deceased

Selena Riley, Kenny’s widow

MelissaJo “Melly” Riley, Kenny and Selena’s daughter

Leona Phelps, Selena and MelissaJo’s elderly neighbor

JamBone, teenage thug

Dawg, teenage thug

Kwai Chang Caine, Kung Fu master

**Captain America**

**Taking Back the Night**

**Part 1**

 

Holding the phone to her ear while she circled the living room of her quadplex, Selena Riley tried once more to get in touch with her friend, Sam Wilson.

 

“ _This is Sam.  Leave a message, and I’ll get back to you ASAP_.”  He always said A-sap.

 

She ended the call with a sharp poke, having already left a half dozen messages.  It wasn’t like Sam to not return her calls.  Ever since Kenny died, Sam had watched over her and MelissaJo like they were his own family.  Not for the first time she wondered if what the news agencies were saying was true, that the Avengers had split on the Accords, and several had ended up in prison because of it.

 

Because Selena wasn’t technically family, no one would tell her anything.  Wouldn’t even admit that they knew who Sam Wilson was.  First her husband, and now his best friend.  What did she have to do to get a break, to get a man that would stay around for more than a couple of years, or a decade?  She prayed every night, and yes, she did know that God answers all prayers, and that sometimes the answer is no.  But did He have to say no so often?

 

A woman didn’t have to endure physical abuse from a spouse or another person to be strong.  Sometimes all it took were hardships, and a lot of frustration.  And Selena had endured plenty of both.  Like Kenny being deployed for more than eight months a year, and dying.  If this keeps up too much longer, I’ll be impervious.

 

Wanting to throw the phone even knowing it would do no good, Selena calmly laid it on the coffee table.  Chewing on her thumbnail, she remembered the box Sam had asked her to store for him in case of emergency.  Well, this qualified, didn’t it?  A man was missing, and no one seemed to know where he’d gone, nor would they listen to her impassion pleas or verbal threats to find him or else, without really knowing what “or else” might be.

 

Going to the garage, she turned on the light.  Her car was in the driveway so the box was easily visible.  It would be at any time, given the size.  Taking a box cutter from the workbench, Selena wondered what could be so important that Sam and his friend would bring the box all the way to Chicago from D.C.  The blonde man, Steve, had carried it all by himself without straining at all.  After they’d gone, she had to move the darn thing so she could get her car in and out, and didn’t take nearly as much strength to do so as she thought.

 

Using her thumb to push the blade out, Selena sliced the overabundance of packing tape, and opened the flaps.  The box was filled with pieces of foam as cushioning for whatever was inside.  In order to get it out, she’d have to cut the sides of the box as well.

 

Deciding to leave it until after her daughter had gone to visit her paternal grandparents for the weekend, Selena thumbed the blade down, and laid the box cutter on top.

 

At the garage door, she turned to stare at the box again, feeling it calling out to her.  Shaking her head at the fanciful notion, she shut out the light and slammed the door.

 

**Later That Night**

 

With Melly finally out of the house, Selena returned to the garage, and to the box and its mysterious contents.  She used the box cutter to slice the corners so that the sides fell away with ease.  Digging her fingers into the space where the two halves of the foam came together, she pulled in opposite directions, staring at the thing it had been protecting.

 

It looked like a jetpack, but without the bulky tanks.  Hooked over the front was a pair of goggles with red lenses.  She put them on, adjusting the straps in the back so that they fit snuggly against her face.  They lit up when she touched a button on the right, and a display appeared on the inside surface.  “Heads up display.  Cool.” 

 

Looking around, Selena could see variations of color.  “Whoa!  Heat sensors, too.  But what’s the rest for?”

 

She touched the button, and they became red goggles again.

 

The pack wasn’t heavy.  In fact, it was much lighter than it looked.  She carried it over to the workbench, positioning it so that the shoulder, chest, and waist straps faced out, making it look like an overpriced backpack.  She shrugged it onto her shoulders, snapped the buckles across her chest, and waist.  There were two extra straps, and after a moment’s thought, she realized they went around her thighs like a parachute.

 

A pair of fingerless gloves had been in the bottom of the box.  At first, they were too big around her narrow wrists, but a small adjustment fixed that.

 

Selena moved over to the old mirror hanging on the wall seeing a light skinned, physically fit African-American woman in her thirties who looked much younger.  So much so that she got carded for alcohol every time she bought a beer.  She had black eyes.  The kind people found mysterious, and enigmatic, and at the same time, trustworthy, and responsible.  Her hair wasn’t long, the tight spiral curls stopping at her chin.  “Looking good, girl,” she told her reflection.  “Okay, so what am I?”

 

The gloves also had buttons.  She pressed several in succession, and was nearly knocked off her feet when a pair of wings sprouted from the back.  “Oh, s***!”

 

She took a few stumbling steps backward, finally regaining her balance.  On the underside of the wings were handgrips, presumably for steering.  “Whoa.  What else does it do?”

 

More buttons were pushed, and Selena was suddenly hovering ten feet in the air.  She grabbed the handgrips, and shot forward to slam into the garage door, landing on the floor with a crash.  The wings had gone back inside the pack, and hadn’t been damaged.

 

Groaning, she slowly regained her feet, and went to look in the mirror again.  She’d have a few bruises in the morning.  But that wasn’t what concerned her the most.  With the wings out, she looked like a giant bird.  “Sam Wilson, what the hell are you into?”

 

She removed the pack, gloves, and goggles, setting them all on the workbench before going back into the quadplex.  The light flicked out, and the door closed.  Thirty seconds later, Selena returned to contemplate the ramifications of what she’d just been a party to, biting her lip in thought.  Taking a deep breath, she went to her bedroom to change, choosing clothing that was loose enough to allow free movement.

 

There was a park not too far from her quadplex where only crazy people hung out at night.  If she was seen, and they reported it to the police, they’d likely not be believed, end up in the psych ward for a few days.  The car had been backed into the driveway so she could unload groceries, and she patted herself on the back for her foresight.

 

The garage door clattered and clanked as it rolled up out of the way.  Selena peeked out then quickly stashed the pack, goggles, and gloves in the trunk.  Using the remote to close it up again, she got into the driver’s seat, buckled up, started the engine, and pulled out of the driveway, headed for the park.

 

~~O~~

 

Pulling into a space at the end of the lot where it was darkest, Selena opened the trunk again, and put on the equipment, making sure it all fit just right.  The HUD activated, showing that it also had night vision, along with whatever the rest of it was.  She didn’t know what everything meant, not yet, but she’d figure it out.

 

Moving out into the open, Selena closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and activated the wing pack.  A thrill shimmied through her entire body, similar to, and at the same time unlike going on a theme park ride, causing her to inhale sharply on the next breath.

 

With her thumb poised over the buttons, she whispered, “Okay, girl.  Let’s do this.  In three… two… one…”

 

Again, Selena rose into the air, only this time, she gave it more power, and when she looked down, she was more than thirty feet from the ground.  She grabbed the handholds, tilted forward, and shot across the park like a bird just learning to fly, wobbling side to side, and flipping over, making her dizzy.

 

“Ye-ah-haaaa!” she shouted to the sky as she dipped, and swerved.  At one point, she was headed straight for the ground, pulling up at the last second, making her stomach flip over.  “Oh!  My!  Go-o-o-o-od!  That’s _awesome_!”

 

A little at a time, she gained control, until she could almost fly a straight line.  It would take lots of practice, but eventually, she would be able to fly like a pro.  Assuming Sam didn’t show up one day to take possession.

 

Not knowing what powered the pack, Selena thought it best not to tempt fate.  She banked around to head for the car, and suddenly, there below her were three people.  One she recognized as the older lady who lived a few doors down from her, Leona Phelps.  She lived alone since her husband passed away two years ago.  Because she didn’t have any other family, Selena and MelissaJo made a point of checking on her several times a week.

 

Two young men were beating Leona with their fists, and screaming obscenities.  That is until they saw Selena coming at them from out of the sky.

 

“What the **** is that?” the taller boy screamed.

 

The other boy stopped with his hand inside Leona’s purse, staring open mouthed.  He dropped the purse, backed up, turned, and ran away as fast as he could with his friend in pursuit.  Selena landed a few feet away, the wings automatically retracting into the pack as she knelt beside the unconscious woman.  “Oh, Miss Leona, what’re you doing out this late at night?  I told you to call me if you needed anything.”

 

The gloves made getting her cell phone out nearly impossible.  She pulled off the right one, got her phone out, and called 9-1-1.

 

“ _9-1-1.  What is your emergency?_ ” a female voice asked.

 

“I need an ambulance at Bennett Park on Humboldt and West Lincoln!  A woman’s been beaten.  She unconscious, and bleeding.  Please hurry!”

 

She made Leona as comfortable as possible before stashing the wing pack, gloves, and goggles in her trunk so the police, and paramedics wouldn’t see them.  She didn’t know if the HUD recorded what she’d seen, but that didn’t matter.  The faces of the two boys who had mercilessly beat Leona were burned into her memory.

 

Sirens sounded in the distance, coming closer with every second.  Selena slammed the trunk, and ran back to her friend’s side.  Those boys would pay for hurting someone she cared about, and soon.

 

**At the Hospital**

**The Next Day**

 

“Ms. Phelps was very lucky you came along when you did, Ms. Riley.  A few more blows, and they might’ve fractured her ribs.  If one had punctured her lung…” the doctor left the rest unsaid.

 

“But she’s going to be okay?”  Selena kept her voice calm, and even.

 

The doctor, nodded as he stood to signal an end to their meeting.  “Yes.  In a couple of weeks, she’ll be her old self again.  As I said, lucky.”  He motioned to the door.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I have rounds.  I’ll also stop in and check on her again after dinner.”

 

They shook hands, and Selena made her way to the exit.  She’d stayed with Leona all night, and most of the day, only leaving when the older woman insisted she go.

 

The boys who’d attacked her friend were known in the neighborhood as troublemakers.  Their parents did nothing to curtail their reign of terror because they were involved with their own illegal activities.  Selling drugs, mostly.  The most unsavory people came and went from their brownstone at all hours of the day and night.  A few times Selena had heard what she thought was gunfire, but hadn’t reported it to the police for fear of reprisals.

 

But now the boys, their friends, and family would have her to deal with.

 

During the school year, Selena taught kindergarten at a private school in an affluent neighborhood.  It was only a few miles, and a world of difference away.  She wanted to move out of this area, but couldn’t afford it on her salary, and Kenny’s widow’s benefits.  If he’d died six years later, she’d have gotten twice as much because he would have put his twenty years in by then.  She pictured him in her mind, six feet of muscle, dark blonde hair, blue eyes, topped off with a good ol’ country boy grin.  The same grin she saw on their daughter’s face every day.

 

Of course, she’d rather he was here, and not in a grave, but he’d died doing something he loved: protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.  When he retired from the Army, Kenny had planned on becoming a cop.  Yeah, by then he would’ve been a little old for the police academy, but he didn’t care.  It had been a lifelong dream, taking care of others.  In another life, he would’ve opened a shelter to help the homeless get back on their feet.

 

On her way to the parking lot, Selena pulled out her phone, and dialed her in-laws.  “Hey, Mom.  How’s my girl?”

 

“ _She and her grandfather are in the back yard playing with the dogs, and having so much fun_.”

 

Selena smiled fondly.  “She’ll be asking for a dog of her own again, but having one in the city doesn’t make sense.  I’m still working on getting us a house.”

 

Her mother-in-law huffed, but only lightly.  “ _Why won’t you let us co-sign for you, honey?  You could be in a house in the suburbs before school starts_.”

 

“You know I can’t do that.  As much as we love you and Dad, we want to do this on our own.”  Another sigh came through the phone, this one tinged with resignation.  “I do need a favor though.”

 

“ _Anything, Selena.  You know that_.”

 

She used the key fob to unlock the car doors.  “Can Melly stay with you another couple of weeks?  I know she’d love it, and…” Selena thought furiously for a good reason for her daughter to stay with her grandparents.  “…I could get in some overtime at my summer job.  Get us a little closer to that house we want.”

 

In the background, Selena heard barking, and laughter.  “ _Absolutely!  She has plenty of clothes here, and if she needs more, we can run to the store_.”

 

“Perfect.  Thanks, Mom.  My love to everyone.”

 

**That Night**

 

Just as she had the night before, Selena went down to the park, put on what she now thought of as her bird costume-she really had to come up with another name.  After a few practice flights over the park, she dared to fly over the trees.  It went even better than she expected, as if the pack were helping her learn to use it.  Now it was time to get her revenge on the boys who attacked her friend.

 

She knew the kids hung out in an abandoned brownstone a few blocks over.  That would be her first stop.

 

Doing her best to avoid security and traffic cameras, Selena flew over to land on the building across from the kids’ hangout.  She played with the buttons on the goggles, and gloves, finally finding the right combination that would zoom in on the entrance, and allow her to see faces.

 

An hour later, she was about to give up when she saw them, the boys from the park, the ones who’d beat up Leona.  They were alone, and on their way out.  She judged their age as no more than fifteen at most.  Taking a deep breath, she extended the wings, and prepared to show them the error of their ways.  She wasn’t going to give them the same treatment they’d given Leona, and a few other older folks in the neighborhood.  Her plans were more long-range than that.  She wanted to scare them straight.  Failing that, she’d settle for them going to jail until they were old enough to vote.  If any of their victims had died, they’d be tried as adults.  And in her opinion, justice would be better served if they became upstanding citizens rather than ex-cons.

 

Selena climbed onto the parapet, following the boys until they turned a corner where they wouldn’t be seen by their pals, and she could put a good scare into them.

 

Taking another deep breath, she activated the power, and dived over the side.  In her head, the plan came off flawlessly.  She would swoop down, pull up, and land lightly on her feet behind them, trade some amusing banter, just like in the movies, and convince them to turn themselves in.

 

The reality, however, was much different.

 

As she neared the ground, she overcompensated, and crashed into a bunch of garbage cans, making the most awful racket, and covering her in rotten food, paper, and coffee grounds.

 

“What the ****?” one of the boys shouted.  She sorted herself out, and got to her feet, brushing as much of the grossness from her clothes as she could.

 

The other boy pointed at her.  “Looky what we got here, JamBone.  A real, live superhero.”  He looked her up and down, one hip thrust to the side, and thumbs jammed into his belt.  “Not much to look at, but we could still have some fun, sister.  What d’you say?”

 

Striking what she hoped would be an intimidating pose, Selena deepened her voice.  “I say the two of you are going down to the police station to turn yourselves in for beating up that old lady in the park last night.”

 

JamBone and his pal looked at each other, and laughed.  “Not a chance, b****!  That old lady got what was comin’ to her.  All we wanted was her wallet and that diamond ring.  Right, Dawg?”

 

“Right.  We’d-a left her in peace if she’d given it up, but no.  Kept saying it weren’t worth nothin’, that it only had,” he rolled his eyes, and made exaggerated finger quotes, “sentimental value.”

 

“So we tried to take it, and b**** started screamin’ ‘n carryin’ on like we was rapin’ her or somethin’.  Had to shut her up.”

 

Taking a step closer, Selena narrowed her eyes, and glared.  “You almost shut her up for good.  She could’ve died.  And then where would you be?”

 

Dawg spread his hands out to the side, and took a few steps toward her.  “Same place we are now.  On this street fixin’ to head on down to a rave they got goin’ over on Fair Meadows.”

 

JamBone joined his friend, arms hanging loosely at his sides.  “Yeah.  We hear they got a live band, booze, drugs, whatever we want.”

 

She had enough of them and their lack of respect not only for themselves, but for anyone and everyone around them.  Her foot kicked a trash can lid lying at her feet.  As they ran toward her, she picked it up, and smacked first one then the other with it, barely fazing them.

 

At that moment, she saw each and every flaw in her plan.  Selena wasn’t a fighter.  Had never even taken self-defense classes, making her ill-prepared for the situation she now found herself in.  She dropped the lid, and reached for a piece of wood that had once been the leg of a table.  Each time she swung, the boys jumped back, and she missed.

 

It was time to cut her losses, and leave the area before she ended up in the hospital too.

 

Tossing the table leg away, Selena activated the power, and lifted off.  But she didn’t get far.  The boys grabbed her ankles, keeping her from getting away.  She kicked out, finally breaking their hold.

 

But she’d increased the power too much.  She shot into the sky, up over the buildings, out of control.  “A-a-a-ah!”

 

By instinct alone, she headed for the park, and crashed into the bushes not far from the car.  Off balance because of the pack, she struggled to her feet, and stumbled out into the open, calling herself all kinds of names for being such an idiot.

 

The pack came off, and was shoved into the trunk with the gloves and goggles.  When she got home, Selena vowed to pack it all up, and stash it in the attic where she wouldn’t be tempted to use them again.

 

Then she got an idea.  She’d even go so far as to say it was brilliant.

 

**TBC**


	2. Part Two

**A/N:** Spoiler for _Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War_.

 

This is just a quick AU that came to mind when Sam ended up in the underwater poky.  Someone had to be missing him.  Why not Riley’s widow and daughter?

 

Enjoy and review.

 

Namaste,

Sunny

 

 

“ _You lose someone?_ ”

  
“ _My wingman Riley, flying a night mission, standard PJ rescue op.  Nothing we hadn’t done a thousand times before, till an RPG knocked Riley’s damn ass out of the sky.  Nothing I could do.  It was like I was up there just to watch_.”

 

\- Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_

 

Cast:

 

Kenneth “Kenny” Riley, Army, pararescue, deceased

Selena Riley, Kenny’s widow

MelissaJo “Melly” Riley, Kenny and Selena’s daughter

Leona Phelps, Selena and MelissaJo’s elderly neighbor

Mom and Dad, Selena’s in-laws

JamBone, teenage thug

Dawg, teenage thug

Kwai Chang Caine, Kung Fu master

Beat Cop

Charlie

Dave

Unnamed robbery suspect

 

**Captain America**

**Taking Back the Night**

**Part 2**

 

**The Next Day**

 

Selena drove to a part of town she’d only been through when she had no choice.  She parked the car, locked it, and went around to the front entrance of a particular business.

 

No bell jangled when she opened the door, nor did it creak.  She took in the thick mats covering the left half of the big room, and the weapons displayed in cases, and hung on the walls.  Knives, swords, and the like, all Chinese, well-made, and very old.  She was about to call out, jumping when an older man with gentle eyes, and vaguely Asian features appeared in the doorway at the back of the room.

 

“May I help you?”

 

“Uh, yeah.  I, uh…”  The man’s penetrating gaze drained away her confidence.

 

Then, he smiled, and waved her to him.  “I am Caine.  Please come in.  I was just about to have tea.”

 

“That’s not…” she began, but he’d already gone into the back, leaving her with no choice but to follow.  The short hallway led to a kitchenette with a small table barely big enough for two.  The man motioned for her to have a seat, set a cup in front of her, and poured hot, fragrant tea into it.  He poured a second cup, and brought it and a plate of cookies to the table, and sat across from her.  “Thank you.”

 

He stared at her without blinking, making her want to fidget.  To hide her discomfort, she took a bite of cookie, and washed it down with a sip of tea.

 

“You’re here for lessons, are you not?”  Stunned, Selena could only nod.  He inclined his head.  “We will begin this evening.”

 

“I don’t have much money, but I’ll do whatever it takes to pay for them.  Cleaning, laundry, whatever.”  His head tilted to the side, she felt he was peering into her soul, and Selena wasn’t sure she liked it.  “This was a bad idea.  I’ll just go.”

 

He took her hand to stop her.  “If you leave now, how will you know?”

 

Puzzled, Selena sat down again, and he let go of her hand.  “How will I know what?”

 

“Within you lies a deep well of untapped potential, my child.  That’s why you’re here.  You want to be the best version of yourself.  To help others.”

 

She shook her head, smiling sadly.  “That’s what Kenny said when I asked why he joined the Army.  ‘To be the best version of myself’.”  Her eyes met the man’s, and this time she felt courageous, and empowered.  She sat up tall, shoulders back, resolute.  “Please teach me.”

 

He inclined his head, his long gray hair falling forward.  “I would be honored.”

 

Realizing that there was one thing they’d both neglected to do, she smiled.  “I’m Selena Riley, by the way.”

 

He stood, and followed her to the entrance.  “Until tonight.”

 

At the door, she turned.  “Thank you.”

 

Caine inclined his head in acknowledgement as she closed the door.

 

**Six Months Later**

 

Standing in her bedroom, Selena examined herself in the mirror.  So much had changed in just a few short months that she hardly recognized herself.

 

Gone were the spiral curls that had sprouted from her head since she was a child.  In their place, her hair was short and straight, curving in at her chin, with bangs slanting from right to left and auburn highlights.

 

Her curves were still round, now with noticeable muscle definition, and a flat abdomen.

 

After spending hours in the sun working out, and practicing with the wing pack, her skin had darkened to the color of warm caramel, giving her a healthier glow.

 

A good friend had made her a two-piece cat suit in a darker grey than the wing pack, and included burgundy insets that resembled the wings of a bird.  The same friend had also made a frame that snapped into place over the goggles, further obscuring her identity, and giving the entire ensemble a more feminine appearance.  With advice from others, she found a kind of paint that would make her nearly invisible to the naked eye as well as block her heat signature from being scanned.

 

Selena wouldn’t be able to go out every night-she still had work, and MelissaJo.  However, if she caught the boys who had beaten Leona, broken into and vandalized cars, stole merchandise from the stores, and had robbed the store on the corner, she’d be happy with that.

 

But, deep down inside, she knew that wouldn’t be the end of it.  There was so much to do to clean up this neighborhood, and getting rid of a couple of thugs wouldn’t make more than a small dent in the amount of illegal activities going on.  She had to find a way to make a life for MelissaJo, and do the superhero thing.  If Tony Stark could do it, so could she.

 

It had become a tradition for Selena to take off from the park.  That wouldn’t always be the case.  If it was raining, snowing, or just plain too cold, leaving from the roof of the quadplex made better sense.  On her own, she’d added a few minor upgrades to her gear.  Tonight would be the testing phase.  What she really needed was a sidekick.  Someone to create gadgets, monitor her when she was out on patrol, and contact the authorities when necessary. 

 

For now, Selena would go it alone.  Put those boys in jail where they belonged, maybe even suggest to the police that they might be willing to narc on their parents and other law breaking adults in the area for a plea deal.

 

She climbed up to the roof, put on the gear, stepped onto the parapet, and took off.

 

Cruising low over the buildings, Selena kept a watchful eye out for her prey.  Internally, she cringed.  She wasn’t some blood-thirsty animal acting on instinct alone.

 

Thirty minutes into her patrol, she spotted the boys, and some of their pals outside the same abandoned brownstone where she’d confronted them months ago.  They were smoking, and telling lies about their adventures.  Time to teach the error of their ways.

 

Landing on the roof of another building, Selena waited, and watched.  Aside from the martial arts Caine had also taught her that patience, and stillness did not mean inactivity.  On many occasions, he’d taken her to task for her impatience.  “ _In your haste to master the ‘how’, the technique, you have neglected the ‘why’, the meaning_.”

 

When she tired of repeating the same exercises over and over, only wanting to be done so she could move on to the next, he would say, “ _The ultimate quest has no ending.  That is what gives the quest its ultimate value_.”

 

And just last week, when she thanked him for allowing her to be his pupil, Caine had smiled indulgently, as one would to a precocious child.  “ _Your lessons will never be finished, my child.  We will always have something to teach each other_.”

 

Selena had returned the smile, bowing to honor Caine and their alliance, adding a wink on the end.  “ _I knew you’d say that, my ‘father’_.”

 

In all the hours they spent together, not once had Caine indicated that she would fail in her self-imposed undertaking.  That he had confidence in her warmed her heart, endearing him to her even more.

 

Activity on the parts of the boys caught her attention.  They were on the move again.  This time, she jumped off the roof, following them from above.  And when they turned down a dark alley, Selena pounced.

 

~~O~~

 

JamBone ducked to the left, rubbing the side of his head.  “Ow!  What the **** you do that for?”

 

“What?  I’m jus’ walkin’ here.”

 

“You punched me in the head.”

 

Dawg rolled his eyes dramatically.  “Didn’t.”

 

“Did.”

 

“Didn’t.”  The shorter boy stumbled backward when he too was hit.

 

JamBone bent down, and picked up a small foam ball that hadn’t been there a moment ago.  Confused, and a little scared, his eyes scanned every inch of the alley, seeing nothing out of the ordinary aside from the red spot on his friend’s forehead.

 

They started walking again, pulling up short when they heard mocking laughter coming from all around.  Dawg slapped JamBone on the shoulder.  “Don’t know what that is, but I ain’t stayin’ to find out.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

The boys turned to go back the way they’d come, finding the alley blocked by a figure backlit by the street lights at the entrance.  Hands on hips, it slowly came toward them.  They stumbled backward as the figure came closer, until they hit a brick wall.

 

As the figure moved into the light, they saw that she was obviously female, and decked out in the most ridiculous costume.  It was dark grey, with shapes in the front over her breasts that looked like wings that matched the huge wings sprouting from her upper back.

 

Relaxing, JamBone pulled out his knife, the blade popping out with a _snick_.  “Outa the way b****, or I’ll cut ya.”

 

Instead of running, she shook her head.  “Tsk, tsk.  I’ll have to add assault with a deadly weapon to the list of offenses you’ve committed, boys.  It doesn’t look good for either of you to be walking free for much longer.”

 

JamBone was done with her.  Yeah, he remembered that b**** from a few months ago.  Her and them wings.  He also remembered they’d almost kicked her a$$.  To teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget, he flipped the knife so he was holding the blade, drew back, and threw it as hard as he could. 

 

He and Dawg shared jaw drops when she casually turned sideways, her right hand coming up to catch the knife.  She stopped with her right shoulder pointed away from them, and came back, snapping her arm out to the side.  Her hand opened, and JamBone saw his own knife coming back at him.  His eyes widened in fright, and his mouth opened in a silent scream as the blade caught the sleeve of his jacket, pinning him to the wall.

 

Looking at handle, he laughed.  “S***, woman!  You ain’t learned nothin’ ‘bout nothin’.  You missed.”  Beside him, Dawg yelped when another knife did the same to him, catching only an inch of the material of his khaki Army surplus jacket he’d stolen from the Army/Navy store over on fifth.

 

“If I’d wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”  Hands jammed into her hips, the woman took a couple steps closer.  “What I really want is for both of you to confess to the cops all the crimes you’ve committed, and turn in the adults you associate with, including your parents.”

 

Dawg laughed uncomfortably.  “You’re outta yer ******* mind!  We do that, and we won’t live t’ see our next birthdays.”

 

A siren sounded nearby.  The woman glanced over her shoulder, and while he back was turned, the boys ran like hell.

 

~~O~~

 

Selena retracted the wings, bent her elbows so that her hands were over her shoulders, and cocked them forward, the action sliding two gun-shaped weapons into her hands.  She pulled the triggers, hitting both boys with dart-like electric diodes.  The boys fell to the ground, shaking as if having a seizure.  When the shaking stopped, she put away the Tasers, and pulled out two pair of handcuffs.

 

Rolling JamBone onto his stomach, she cuffed his wrists behind his back, making sure his airway wasn’t blocked.  While she was doing the same to Dawg, a cop shone a light in her face, obviously intending to blind her.  “What the _hell_ are you doin’ to those boys, lady?”

 

The goggles mitigated the brightness, allowing her to complete her task.  “They were breaking the law, officer.”

 

He spared the unconscious boys a quick glance.  “What’s their crime?”

 

The sarcasm wasn’t lost on her.  “Unnecessary assassination of the English language.”  Selena stood, slowly so the guy wouldn’t get any ideas about shooting her.  “Please take them into custody, and booked on assault, robbery, grand theft, public indecency for peeing in the alley, assault with a deadly weapon, and jaywalking.”

 

The cop snorted derisively.  “You’re kidding?”

 

“I never kid about jaywalking, officer.”

 

The cop slipped a baton from his belt.  “Just ‘cause you’re a woman doesn’t mean I won’t make unnecessary use of my nightstick on you’re a$$ if you don’t assume the position on that wall, lady.”

 

She snorted, shaking her head at his intimidation attempt.  “Whatever happened to police courtesy?”

 

“We save that bulls*** for Upper East Side.”

 

With her hands in the air, Selena backed up as the cop edged over to the boys.  He crouched next to them without taking his eyes off of her.  They moaned, and he looked down, seeing their eyes fluttering open.

 

Once his eyes were off of her, Selena left the scene at a run.  She turned the corner, activated the wings, and shot off into the night, banking around to land on an abandoned warehouse.  Peeking over the side, she saw the cop exit the alley, looking left and right, his expression saying he was pissed that she’d gotten away.

 

She heard sirens in the distance, coming closer, the sound echoing off the walls of the buildings.  Before they arrived on the scene, she jumped off the side opposite to their destination, and flew into the night.

 

**A Few Days Later**

 

The Tenth Precinct’s midnight shift had been on duty for less than an hour when they heard screaming outside.  A half-dozen cops erupted onto the front steps with guns drawn.  What they saw had them so startled that for a few long moments, all they could do was stare into the sky.

 

A forty-ish plainclothes cop slowly lowered his weapon.  “Charlie, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

 

The other man, approximately the same age, nodded though his friend couldn’t see.  “If you’re seeing a giant bird coming out of the sky with a man in its claws, Dave, then yeah.”

 

When the bird got close enough, they could see that it was an African-American woman dressed as a bird, gripping the belt of a man who’d passed out on the way down.  She landed, laid the man carefully on the sidewalk, and took a step back, hands pushed into her hips.  “He’s all yours, officers.”

 

“Ungh…” was all Charlie could say.

 

“Caught him breaking into Byron’s Pharmacy over on Van Horn and Crawford.  He was stuffing his pockets full of controlled substances.”

 

Dave knelt beside the man on the sidewalk, first checking for a pulse before going through his pockets, finding Vicodin, Oxy, Valium, and a number of other controlled drugs that made big money on the streets.  He looked up at the woman as she lifted into the air.  “Wait!  Who are you?”

 

“You can call me NightHawk.  See you around, fellas.”  She grinned, flipped them a salute, flew into the air, made a big loop, and was gone.

 

“Charlie?”

 

The other man came to his side.  “Yeah?”

 

“Pull all the security and traffic footage here and around Byron’s.  Oh, and get the captain on the line.  He’s gonna want to see all we got on him,” he nodded at the suspect, “ _and_ her.”

 

Charlie spread his hands to the side.  “What’ve we _got_?  Just a name.  NightHawk.  Where do we start?”

 

Getting to his feet, Dave signaled, and two unnies came to take the perp inside.  “The usual place, pal.  The beginning.”

 

**_Kāish_ ** **_ǐ_ **

 

Kwai Chang Caine is the protagonist of the television series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues 1993 – 1997.  He was portrayed by David Carradine.  Chris Potter portrayed his son, Peter Caine.

 

 _Kāish_ _ǐ_ = The Beginning


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